The Stranger
by glockcourage
Summary: Summary: Temari meets a stranger. She doesn't think she will ever love him but the people around her reassures her that she already do. AU.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns Naruto.

**The Stranger**

A blonde woman was hooked with several tubings, one inserted through her mouth while the other clipped on her right index finger, and another one directly inserted into a vein on her left arm.

A regular blep blep sound could be heard on the background.

A man looked on at the sleeping woman, a worried frown on his forehead. The woman had been silent for three days now.

"Wake up, Temari," the man mumbled, shoulders more slouched than ever.

The door to the white room opened and a blonde, busty woman entered. "You're here again."

"Tch," the man replied, eyeing the two other persons with the older woman.

"Since everyone is here, I might as well start." The older woman swivelled her head around meeting everyone's gaze one by one.

"You're not gonna announce you can't do anything for my sister, are you?" Kankuro growled, with his knowledge with poisons that possibility had lodge inside his brain and he could not shake it off, not until Lady Tsunade confirm otherwise.

While Gaara steadily returned Tsunade's gaze, Shikamaru brought his eyes sideways and glanced towards the hospital windows and stared out at the clear blue sky. Shikamaru knew that a decision had to be made.

"Temari's condition will only worsen the longer she remains in a coma. It's already been three days. The antidote to the poison will need at least another three more days to finish its preparation. Temari can't last that long," Lady Tsunade answered.

"Dammit, can't we find anyone who has the antidote ready?" Kankuro pointed out.

Tsunade glanced at Kankuro. "The poison that hit Temari will totally destroy her brain in six days, but the antidote will also take six days to prepare."

"Then Kankuro's suggestion makes sense...Don't you know anyone who has the antidote at a ready?" Shikamaru questioned.

Tsunade shook her head. "The antidote takes six days to prepare but only a day to spoil. Even if I knew anyone who has it at a ready, the mix would be useless."

Kankuro moved towards the side and suddenly hit the wall, a large crack appeared radiating from his fist.

"Then what should we do?" Gaara asked.

"I can stop the poison—"

"Then do it!" Kankuro shouted then seeming to realize his outburst, cleared his throat and added, "Please."

"I can stop the poison but there will be consequences," Tsunade continued, calmly ignoring Kankuro's brief disregard for her rank.

"So long that she's alive then do it," Gaara announced.

"Temari might disagree with you," Tsunade declared.

"What will happen to Temari, Tsunade-sama, if you cure her of the poison without the antidote?" Shikamaru inquired as he unconsciously straightened his shoulders getting ready to accept Tsunade's ultimatum.

"She will lose her memory of the most important person in her life," Tsunade replied.

Shikamaru nodded. "I agree with Gaara, do it Tsunade-sama."

"Oi, your opinion is irrelevant!" Kankuro addressed Shikamaru. "It's not as if you are the person she's gonna forget about. It's probably me."

"So you are against me performing the healing jutsu, Kankuro?" Lady Tsunade's brows knitted together. She needed all of them to agree before she could perform the operation.

"I didn't say that...I want you to perform the jutsu. Temari might not remember me or Gaara but if she's alive, I'll make her remember!" Kankuro swore.

"Alright then. Everyone move towards the side." Tsunade approached Temari's bedside before stretching both her hands over Temari's face then she muttered something that sounded like a chant. After a while, a blue light glowed from Tsunade's hands which formed a beam towards Temari's forehead before spreading out all over the kunoichi's body. It was like a blue lightning leaping and boring all over the supine body.

Temari's eyes could be then seen moving beneath her closed eyelids then she started to thrash on the bed.

"You're hurting her!" Kankaru yelled.

"Silence," Gaara snapped at his brother.

Shikamaru just continued to stare at the clouds outside.

TBC

~6 11 11AF~

A/N: Review?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"It's not working!" shouted Kankuro.

Gaara swivelled his head to gaze at his brother meaningfully, warning him to shut up, before returning his attention back to the blonde medic whose concentration was thankfully not disrupted by Kankuro's belligerent announcement.

Kankuro watched as his sister's thrashing stopped. Now, Temari lay still while Lady Tsunade continued with healing her with the blue light that bounded and passed throughout her body. "Come on, if that poison doesn't fry her brain—that jutsu will!" Kankuro scowled.

"Kankaru," Gaara's tone carried enough venom to kill, cautioning his brother to thread carefully.

But Kankuro persisted, as he accused, "_What?_ Don't tell me that—that thought hadn't passed through that brain of yours. See our genius—" Kankuro pointed a condemning finger at Shikamaru, "—has been quiet for the pass hour, he has probably thought of that possibility!"

"Tch," Shikamaru replied as he calmly shook his head.

"That's all you're gonna say?" Kankuro approached Shikamaru, fisting the collar of the younger man's flak jacket. "This is all your fault! You should have been there!"

Shikamaru met Kankuro's eyes steadily before pushing the other shinobi off him, not saying anything. Telling Kankuro that Temari's mission didn't include him was a moot point, not when he also had asked himself why he wasn't there.

"If my sister dies, asshole, you're gonna pay!" Kankuro snarled before releasing his grip on Shikamaru's jacket.

"Kankuro! You better step out if you can't shut it," Gaara declared coldly.

"Kankuro, you're being annoying..." suddenly a weak voice trailed off, it came from the kunoichi lying on the bed.

"You're awake!" Kankuro exclaimed. "What are you doing pretending to be still—when you are already fine...Get up!"

Temari opened one of her eyes to look furiously in the direction of Kankuro. "I'm going to get up in a minute and bash your head. Now be quiet."

Temari closed her eyes and went back to sleep, or so it seemed.

"Temari?" Gaara asked.

"What is it, Gaara?" Temari tried to open her eyelids valiantly but obviously she was losing the battle to keep her lids open.

"Nothing. Go back to sleep." Gaara gave a sigh of relief and directed a grateful smile towards lady Tsunade.

Lady Tsunade accepted Gaara's gratitude by nodding her head towards the young Kazekage before signalling Shikamaru to follow her out the room.

—o0o—

"You notice—she both acknowledged Kankuro and Gaara. That leaves you," Tsunade spoke once Shikamaru closed the door to Temari's room.

"It doesn't matter." Shikamaru shrugged, one of his hands lingered on the door knob.

"Go back inside."

Shikamaru bowed his head a few seconds too long. "Thank you for saving her."

"Don't thank me...We have yet to see what the jutsu's effect will be."

"She's alive. That's enough."

Lady Tsunade patted Shikamaru's shoulder then urged him to go back inside.

Once the door closed on Shikamaru, Tsunade stared at it. _If she had forgotten about Dan or her little brother wouldn't that made her into an entirely different person?_

TBC

~12/5/11AF~

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I got one more chapter up.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"I don't understand why we can't leave yet! I feel fine. I have asked Lady Tsunade, and she thinks I'm fit enough to travel," Temari complained, exasperated.

"You're fit to travel but _uhm_—you don't have all your faculties with you," Kankuro hazarded an explanation.

"_My What?_" Temari snapped. "I got poisoned, not brain dead."

"You forgot something, Temari," Gaara clarified farther.

"_I didn't!_ Ask me anything." Temari huffed as the door to her room was carefully opened.

"The person who just entered...who is he?" Gaara asked softly.

"Shikamaru," Temari answered.

Shikamaru glanced at Temari upon hearing his name but the indifferent tone was a dead give away. Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders before approaching one side of Temari's bed. "Do you want to play?" Shikamaru brandished the folded shogi board in front of Temari.

"What I want is to go home. I'm sick of the hospital smell and all this inactivity!" Temari pushed the board away from her.

Shikamaru then recommended, "Maybe we can go up the hill. I'll ask Ino for permi—"

"Save your breath, ass!" Temari glowered.

"Your choice. Stay here cooped in this room or out." Shikamaru tucked the shogi board between his arm and body, then pocketed both his hands and made a show of preparing to leave.

"Okay. _Fine!_ Anything is better than staying here—even your company," Temari unwillingly conceded.

"You should change into something warmer first," Shikamaru suggested, eying Temari's thin hospital gown.

Temari just looked daggers at Shikamaru, her eyes snapping the message, _'I know, ass!'_ before standing up from the bed.

Shikamaru stood still while Gaara, on the other side of Temari's bed, outstretched his hands to assist his sister. Upon noticing Gaara's action Temari shook her head. She went to the adjoining bathroom unassisted after taking a change of clothes from her bag which was propped on a corner.

Kankuro advanced towards Shikamaru's side and drawled while intentionally keeping his voice down, "I don't think one week is sufficient for you. It's already been two days and now, only five days remain but still Temari has yet to show a sign that she _really _remembers you."

"Tch."

"The only thing you have succeeded so far is to irritate her with your presence." Kankuro smirked. "Man, I don't envy you at all!"

"I do," Gaara declared softly. "I was sure she would forget about me...but then when she looked at you that day, her gaze lacking any sort of recognition, I realized I should have known that I wasn't the most important person in her life anymore."

"Gaara," Shikamaru said.

"So you shouldn't waste the chance we are giving you to remind Temari who you are in her life. As of now she only thinks of you as Shikamaru, a leaf shinobi," Gaara pointed out.

Shikamaru nodded as the door to the bathroom opened.

"Done with your male talk? Can we go?" Temari grumbled from the door, tying her obi tighter around her yukata.

When Temari and Shikamaru were out of the hospital, on their way towards the hill, Temari spoke first, "How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"_Ha!"_ Temari sounded like she had one of her suspicions confirmed. "You are aware that I'm three years older?"

Shikamaru perused the woman walking beside him, finally fisting his hands inside his pockets as he replied, "Yes." He knew, even if Temari had never said it before, that she hated the fact that he is three years her junior.

"You're around my _baby_ brother's age!" Temari laughed.

Shikamaru noticed the emphasis on the word baby. "Get to the point, woman."

"_Woman?_ My my showing such disrespect to your elders!"

"It's just three years, Temari. That doesn't make you one of the respected elders."

Temari raised a brow then stopped walking. "Tell me, are you really my boyfriend?"

"Ye—" Shikamaru sighed, coming to a halt himself. "No."

Temari's eyes glinted. "Alright, where is this hill?" Temari looked ahead at the path and upon discovering that they were near an elevation she hurried her steps.

Shikamaru allowed her to go ahead, not saying anything; she wouldn't listen to him anyway. _Why would she?_ He was nobody. _Damn, troublesome woman._

—o0o—

TBC

~12/5, 8/11AF~

A/N: Review?


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Ino was waiting outside the hospital for Shikamaru who went out together with Temari. Once she noticed the pair walking towards the building, she ran towards them while waving her hand, trying to catch Shikamaru's attention.

Finally noticing, Shikamaru jogged towards Ino, followed by Temari who just strode faster, not trying to keep up.

"What is it, Ino?" Shikamaru asked.

Ino, her eyes misting, explained in a shaky voice, "We have just received word that the team Choji was in was ambushed by the same shinobi who attacked Temari and her partner."

Shikamaru glanced at his side at Temari; her partner, a fellow Suna shinobi died in that mission. But at the moment, Temari was not the one that needed reassurance but Ino. Shikamaru swivelled his head towards the other blonde. "It's going to be alright. Lady Tsunade has started to prepare the second batch of antidotes."

"That's if he gets here on time…What if he's dead? Even Temari almost didn't come out of it alive. You—you should have been the one in his place. You have better chances of thinking up ways and out survive that villain," Ino accused, as she wiped the tears streaming down from her eyes.

"Ino…"

"He volunteered so you could stay by her side." Ino gestured towards Temari, looking at her accusingly.

Shikamaru grabbed Ino's arm and pulled her towards the side, away from Temari. "I—I didn't know they were sending Choji as one of the reinforcement. I thought Suna was the one taking care of it."

"_Of course you didn't know!_ You suddenly didn't give a damn what happened outside in the real world while Temari remained in a coma," Ino uncharacteristically snapped, hauling her arm out of Shikamaru's hold, albeit unsuccessfully.

"That isn't true. Gaara told me steps were being made to catch that poison shinobi," Shikamaru answered, holding tight on Ino's arm, making her listen to his reasons. "I trusted him to take care of it."

"But you didn't ask what those steps were," Ino guessed. "That is so unlike you Shikamaru."

"I—I'm sorry." Shikamaru's hold turned limp on Ino's arm.

"Tell that to Choji. I hope he could hear you when you do." Ino shook off Shikamaru's hand on her arm, meeting his eyes to convey her disappointment before leaving him.

"Ino wait," Shikamaru shouted after his teammate.

But Ino ignored him and ran faster towards the steps that would lead her back inside the hospital.

Shikamaru stood staring at Ino's back, not attempting to follow her.

Temari approached Shikamaru. "I should not have stopped you when you were about to ask Ino for permission for our outing. If you did you would have learned about Choji's mission earlier," Temari spoke behind Shikamaru, unsure whether to pat his back or not before she detected two droplets falling on the ground in front of the boy.

Temari stared at the ground exposed between his feet, with Shikamaru's stance his legs were less than a foot apart, and watched as three more droplets fell one after the other. The boy had his head bent; his shoulders slumped and his hands fisted at his sides as more fluid drenched the ground.

It took Temari a long split second before she realized that those were tears soaking the dry earth. '_What a crybaby!'_ was her first sudden thought and it jolted her.

The label_ 'crybaby'_ had felt very familiar—like it was something she already knew. That it wasn't a new discovery but an established fact.

Temari shrugged off her shoulders to shake off the feeling of uneasiness that crawled along her spine.

No, she didn't know this person whose back was towards her.

To prove a point, Temari moved to face Shikamaru and Shikamaru then hastily dashed his tears.

Seeing the sheen in Shikamaru's eyes, Temari raised a brow before muttering, "Let's go," as she then indicated the hospital by pointing towards it with her thumb.

"You go in," Shikamaru replied before he turned around, obviously in a rush to go somewhere else.

As Shikamaru leaped from one building rooftop to the next, Temari watched his disappearing form, his lone pony tailed hair bobbing with his every move.

"Tch," Temari mumbled to herself. She knew Ino and that chubby boy—Choji—that was mentioned earlier so how the hell she didn't know Shikamaru.

And she didn't see any reason why people thought she liked him. _Come on!_ He's three years younger and such a crybaby to boot. No, if she liked someone, that someone would be truly amazing.

TBC

~12 14 11AF~

A/N: Check out Naara-no-Temari's _**Love is**_

My pet rock is doing fine—in my mind…haha expect _**Intertwining Fate**_ update by January 2012. There I gave myself a deadline.

Hope you guys review!

Happy New Year!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"What are you doing here, ass?" Temari asked the tall lanky man peering from the door into her hospital room. She did not expect to see him today, not after what happened yesterday.

"Tch," Shikamaru replied as he continued to step inside Temari's room, closing the door softly. "So your brothers aren't here," Shikamaru observed instead.

"I don't require my brothers to accompany me at all times, you know."

Shikamaru nodded his head.

"So what happened to Choji?"

"He's fine."

Glowering at Shikamaru for his uninformative answer, Temari then decided to keep her lips tightly shut, allowing the silence to drag.

Shikamaru moved towards the chair near the corner of the room, upon reaching it he grabbed the back and positioned it to face the window and away from the bed.

When Shikamaru was about to sit down, Temari finally addressed him, "_Lazy ass!_"

Shikamaru swivelled his head to look at the woman seated on the only bed, smirking, "We can always go out."

"What are you laughing at?" Temari scowled noticing the slight creases beside Shikamaru's eyes while he tried to keep a straight face.

"Nothing."

Temari took the pillow propped at her back and threw it towards Shikamaru. "What's so funny?"

"You don't remember me but you sure remember what you call me."

"What? _Lazy ass?_"

"Yeah."

"It must be true then," Temari sneered, paused then snapped, "I'm bored. I want to go train."

"I'm not stopping you."

"As if you could." Temari removed the thin hospital blanket draped over her body to reveal that she already had change into her black yukata tied with a red obi.

Shikamaru shrugged.

And when Temari approached the door, Shikamaru just remained seated on the relocated chair by the window.

Upon opening the door Temari looked to her right then to her left to see if anyone was in the hallway. Seeing that the coast was clear, Temari went out and strode fast towards the corner that would lead to the stairway exit.

Finally, Shikamaru raised both arms, placing them behind his head and followed slowly, telling the Kunoichi before him, "There's no need to be sneaky about it. I already asked for permission."

Temari swivelled around and raised a brow as she inquired, "From Ino?"

Shikamaru nodded.

"So she forgave you?"

"If you really want to know, Chouji got one shoulder broken. He'll live."

"Where'd you find him?"

_How did she know?_ Shikamaru raised surprised eyes towards Temari and answered, "About seventy kilometres east of the boundary of Konoha."

"You are unhurt." Temari sounded surprised at the fact just stated.

Shikamaru rolled his shoulders, answering casually, "Naruto was more than match to the enemy."

"But you helped."

"I helped." Shikamaru's eyes glinted, not needing to explain that it was satisfying restraining the bastard by pinning him to the ground with the shadow sawing technique to make sure Naruto hit him with his rasengan.

Shikamaru and Temari then continued to walk in silence towards the Konoha training ground.

Once they arrived, Temari announced, "Let's start!" While she cracked her knuckles, she grinned challengingly towards Shikamaru.

"Tch, I'll just watch you—" Shikamaru gestured at the patch of grass beneath the shade provided by a big nearby tree, "—from there."

Temari's mouth remained slightly opened for a second before she shouted, "Why did you accompany me then?"

Shikamaru shrugged.

"What's this? Afraid to hurt me?" Temari growled her frustration. "You don't have to treat me with kid's gloves! Come on fight me!" Temari gestured with her hands for Shikamaru to come and attack. Shikamaru just looked at her nonchalantly and then started to walk towards the patch of grass he had indicated before.

Temari went after Shikamaru thinking the Konoha nin would counter her attack but Shikamaru didn't bother to block the punch on the middle of his back which flung him to the ground.

Shikamaru hit the earth face first. Brushing the dirt from his mouth with the back of his hand, he turned around to look at his assailant. But rather than stand up, he sat down on the grass padded ground, stretching his legs before him while mumbling, "Seems like old times."

"What?"

"If you can remember, you'll know its useless forcing me to fight you," Shikamaru declared.

"So you are scared of me." Temari smirked, goading the other shinobi.

"That tactic doesn't work either." Shikamaru raised one knee while the other leg remained outstretched on the ground. "Go ahead."

"You're one lazy ass!"

"Tch, if you don't start training, I'll presume that it's just talk that you want to train."

Temari gave Shikamaru one final glare before pivoting around and suddenly hitting one of the three logs embedded on the ground while muttering to herself, "_I like him?_ They gotta be fucking kidding me! "

TBC

~1/ /12AF~


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"The boy is three years younger than me!" Temari shouted at her two brothers, not actually caring who to address it to specifically. She had enough of her hospital stay. It only had been a week and yet it felt like a year had gone by instead. She hated being treated like a patient, she hated the disinfected smell masking that of dried blood, she hated the food—it tasted bland and hell, she hated her constant visitor who acted as her equal. He's three years younger, _damn it!_

"Everybody knows that, Temari." Gaara replied patiently.

"The days I have spent with him are a total waste of time! All he did is provoke me to play that stupid game! I only agreed because I knew if I beat him in shogi he would agree to spar with me." Temari ignored the voice in her head that asked why she felt that it was paramount to fight that ass anyway. He probably sucks, not even posing any challenge at all. _Maybe_… Frustrated, she continued, almost screaming her words, "_Hell_, the only thing he is good with is that board game! I can't even beat him!"

"Well, according to one reliable source—_you_— so far only his father had ever beaten him in that game." Kankuro guffawed. "So don't feel bad that the you _now_ actually lost to him."

Temari glowered furiously at her younger brother. "That's not the point! The point is he is one lazy ass bastard that won't even fight me in a real fight."

"Uh hmm," Kankuro agreed.

Temari gritted her teeth before snapping, "He's also a crybaby!"

"I always heard you before calling him crybaby but I never discovered why," Gaara finally raised a question; the answer to it just might help in recovering Temari's memory.

"Because he—he…_argg!_ Just!" Temari didn't know why but seeing Shikamaru being plague by guilt and eventually crying at that time seemed like a secret shared just between the two of them. Obviously, Gaara had never seen Shikamaru shed some tears before or he wouldn't be asking why she calls him crybaby. But, _damn it to hell,_ this meant Gaara collaborate Shikamaru's claim—that she called him crybaby before her _'accident'_. Maybe for the same reason she's calling him crybaby now. So maybe that was why it felt so familiar the first time she called him crybaby. _But really_… "He's such a wimp! He's so downright useless! You know what is his prize if he wins in the shougi game? He wants me to accompany him cloud watching! And did I mention he always wins? What's the use of staring at the sky for hours?"

"So you actually just watch clouds these past few days?" Kankuro was obviously trying to fish some more added information.

"Yeah!" Temari stated adamantly.

"_Aw _and here I thought you guys were actually _erm_ doing some stuffs, you know." Kankuro snickered.

"_What the hell?_ Of course not!" Temari's cheeks acquired a very slight reddish tint. She had actually awakened each time during the last three days up on that hill using Shikamaru's shoulder as a pillow. It was almost like a habit she couldn't control. _No!_ It was definitely not a habit. She knew she never takes naps in the afternoon and she sure as hell does not sleep on any one's shoulder. Those times she dozed off happened because she was just tired—or bored or _whatever!_

"So are you saying that up to now—not even a hint of something familiar—have cropped up on your head about Shikamaru?" Gaara asked, meeting Temari's eyes, gravely.

"Why is it so important that I remember him anyway?" Temari griped, meeting Gaara's eyes defensively.

"We keep telling you because you like him." Kankuro answered back. He personally didn't like Nara. But he never doubted that the lazy ass nin would help if the situation was reversed—if Temari didn't remember her brothers instead. "Heck, you probably even love him."

Temari vigorously shook her head. "And I tell you again I don't like him—not even slightly! I just told you all he does is lie around and contemplate some clouds, you can't even prod him to fight even if I challenge his masculinity and really, he's three years younger than me and yet he has the gall to call me woman—and he compounds that by adding troublesome!" Temari gave a sigh of exasperation. " I, Sabaku no Temari, how could I like a person like that? Much less love him?"

Kankuro, unable to suppress his laughter from surfacing, covered it with a cough but Temari ignored him, eying Gaara instead.

"We can't answer that question for you, Temari," Gaara replied. "All we know is he's the most important person in your life." Gaara refrained from adding_, 'more important than me or Kankuro'_.

Temari's face reflected her frustrations at her youngest brother's reasoning. "No. He's not. Furthermore, you told me we'd stay here for just a week to gain my strength. That week is up." And just so her brothers understand how serious she was in leaving the hospital, she subtlety threatened, "And I could walk three days unaided."

Gaara glanced at Kankuro. Kankuro shrugged. Gaara looked back at Temari, defeat finally lacing his voice. "Go to sleep then, we'll leave early tomorrow."

Temari finally showed one genuine smile, baring all her teeth and crinkling the corners of her eyes. She already felt better and once she arrived in Suna she would be perfect. _Tch_, even if her brothers were correct, forgetting about Shikamaru is surely no big deal.

TBC

~2/7/12AF~

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and faves!

Review?


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Temari gleefully took the last step. She had now officially left Konoha behind with no one stopping her.

The ass had finally got the message. _Good._

Temari casted her eyes before her then glowered at the back of her brothers. "Too slow," she growled before overtaking Kankuro then eventually even Gaara.

"Oi!" Kankuro hollered after her. "You're over doing it."

"Tch," Temari just leaped away, regaining more distance from her companions after hearing Gaara commanding Kankuro, "Let her."

After a while, she felt an enemy's presence up ahead, a mere second before several kunai whizzed through directed at her.

Temari jumped backwards and eluded all the ten flying knives.

"_Dammit!_ You can't stop me so now you're planning on killing me?" Temari shouted at the trees. She could feel Shikamaru's chakra but could not pinpoint his exact location.

"No," Shikamaru's voice spoke. It came from the direction of the gigantic trees on Temari's left side, where he probably hid himself.

Temari was about to pivot to her left when his voice again muttered, "If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead." Shikamaru was still sight unseen, but this time his voice came from the group of trees on Temari's right side.

Temari glowered at the direction where Shikamaru's voice last reverberated from but instead of going after him to kick his ass; she stood her ground and laughed. _"Aw really?"_ Temari sarcastically asked; her own voice laced with incredulity.

"Yeah," Shikamaru replied.

Hearing the nonchalant confidence in his answer, Temari grinded her teeth and rasped, "Is that a challenge?"

"Tch. You're so predictable."

"_Why you?_ Show yourself so I could show you how predictable I am in wiping that smirk off your face!"

Shikamaru suddenly appeared up ahead, leaning negligently on a tree trunk before standing straighter. "If you are _unable_ to wipe the smirk off my face—" Shikamaru paused, letting Temari see the lopsided tilt to his lips before continuing, "—I should have a prize, don't you think?"

"_Fool!_ I will win against you! So there's no need to talk about—"

"_My prize,_ Temari? Otherwise, I see no point in fighting you," Shikamaru interrupted.

Temari spluttered in disbelief. "You came here, challenging me for a prize?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "If you're scared…"

"I'm not scared!" Temari bellowed. "I'm actually amazed that you're this stupid!"

Unaffected by Temari calling him names, Shikamaru just casually declared, "Then you would agree; if I win you'll stay for another week."

Temari realizing what the challenge was for, snapped, _"Agreed!"_ and immediately threw a kunai towards Shikamaru.

The shinobi was taken by surprise by the sudden attack and as the weapon hit him, he puffed into a white smoke.

"Another one," Temari mumbled to herself, finally figuring that the two voices that were heard before were in fact from Shikamaru's clones.

To flush him out from hiding, Temari removed her big iron fan from the holster on her back and swung it around but as the trees were uprooted by the strong gust of wind produced by her weapon, it also set off and detonated the numerous exploding tags tied on the strings from tree to tree.

The surrounding area where Temari stood was subsequently enveloped by a thick dark smoke.

With visibility near zero, it was too late to evade the black shadow that sneaked towards her. The shadow hand consequently went around her until it reached and grasped her neck. Temari was held captive, her own hands tied close to her body with her slightly open fan still held within their grasps.

Temari's right thumb sought the sharp end of one of her fan's leaves, cutting herself and summoning Kamatari, her one-eyed weasel, with a slight flick of her fan.

Kamatari emerged and with the lash of its ferocious winds, the smoke cleared and the remaining trees, shrubs, debri—everything around Temari were wiped out as if they weight nothing.

With the shadow's source removed, the shadow hand around Temari disappeared.

And Shikamaru appeared a couple of metres away. His smirk replaced by something else as he slowly raised one arm.

Temari stared at the shinobi before her and snarled, "You're not about to give up and announce some lame excuse like you ran out of chakra, are you?"

"I ran out of chakra," Shikamaru said despite the warning, bringing down his arm to his side and watching the different emotions flitting across Temari's face—first, disbelief then realization and finally anger.

Temari could not believe the slacker clown. There was no way his chakra ran out that fast. It was just an alibi for he knew he'd just lose later on but then she realized, with his shadow encircling her, he had her but then the shadow hand was actually loose around her—otherwise there was no chance that she could summon Kamatari. The ass deliberately lost?_ What?_ She won by default?

Temari raised incredulous eyes at the Konoha shinobi before her.

Shikamaru's smirk made an appearance once again.

And it was then that Temari understood. There was an underlying reason why the ass chose to end it this way. He was trying to remind her of something.

Temari closed her eyes and when she opened them, she grunted, "I'm going."

Shikamaru's smirk immediately vanished.

"You lost, Nara! And I'm leaving," Temari announced; taking the steps towards Shikamaru and finally, upon reaching him, she did not stop nor look sideways at him. She just continued walking away—towards Suna and everything that was familiar.

TBC

~2/24/12AF~

A/N: Hope you guys click that very useful blue button below…


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The first month after she came back in Suna, Temari jumped in gladly doing missions and such.

The second month, she started feeling restless despite the mountain of work she was already overseeing.

Third month, she could get angry over the smallest things. Suna shinobis that took their ten minute break during trainings, seeking the shade of the nearby dune, annoyed the hell out of her.

The fourth month, even her knew and recognized that something is wrong but could not pinpoint what.

And when the fifth month rolled in, everyone wanted to stay out of Temari's way, except her brothers.

"Temari." Gaara didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to, the stiffness about his shoulders and his tight lips matched by the cold look in his eyes; all pointed out to his impatience as he watched his sister stood tall before him.

"They were slowing me down!" Temari scowled, defending herself against what was sure to come, her brother's verbal onslaught. She was expecting it for weeks. Gaara had been giving her enough rope and now he was going to tug it round her neck.

Gaara took a deep breath obviously calming himself. "They weren't. They probably even saved your life. Your strategy had too many flaws; you must realize you were hurling yourself and your team to your death."

"When did our shinobis start being cowards?"

Gaara leaned back on his chair while looking Temari in the eye. "When did you start being careless?"

"I am a damn good Kunoichi. I could have done the mission alone!"

"You have become a danger to yourself."

"I am not!"

"This won't do. I have asked Konoha for some help," Gaara announced.

"What do you mean?"

Before Gaara could reply, someone knocked on his office door. "Come in," Gaara spoke.

The doorknob twisted and leaving the door open, the Suna shinobi came into the room bringing with him a foot-high stack of papers balanced atop both his hands, going straight to the Kazekage's table to deliver the documents.

Temari glared at the unwanted visitor currently standing beside Gaara's desk, seeming to take his time arranging the new documents and collecting the old ones. Temari was getting impatient with the interruption and with her furious stare she encouraged the shinobi to hurry.

It was then that someone else knocked just once on the already opened door and without waiting to be summoned in, strolled in uninvited.

Temari's head swivelled towards the new arrival before immediately snarling back at the Kazekage, _"Unbelievable!" _

"Gaara." The newly arrived nin nodded his head toward the person behind the desk, ignoring Temari's outburst while waiting for the unknown Suna shinobi already on his way to the door to leave.

And as soon as the door was closed behind the shinobi, Temari flew across the room towards the new arrival, her feet in a hurry, her hand itching to do some danger to his pineapple head.

However, before she could reached her target, Temari was stopped on her tracks when the newly arrived muttered, "As much as I appreciate an embrace at the moment I just had three days of travel, I need a bath first."

"Ass!" Temari hissed, closing the space and hitting the back of Shikamaru's head.

Shikamaru rubbed his head. "Typical," he mumbled under his breath before turning his injured head towards Gaara, adopting a calm tone, as he reported, "Lady Tsunade could not offer more data about the poison's long-term effects since no known individual has lived through it except Temari. But the possibility is high that with all the time that already lapsed, the effects are permanent."

"I see," Gaara replied.

"You don't need to come all this way to inform us," Temari snapped.

"No. I was ordered here to give you lectures on basic strategies and tactics—things that you seem to have forgotten _too_."

Temari drew a loud breath in disbelief before she snickered with her conclusion, "You can't be this desperate in making me remember you, that now, you concoct this story that I need lessons on strategy from you— a foreign shinobi!"

"If you knew me, you would realize that faced with unattainable things, I don't beat my head incessantly." Shikamaru answered with a shrug, "I'm not like Naruto."

_Naruto. The blonde Konoha nin that doesn't know when to quit_. Temari rubbed her sweaty palms unobtrusively on the skirt of her yukata as she asked, raising one brow challengingly, "So you have already given up on me?"

"Yes."

"Then why are you here?—_Go home!_" Temari announced, not trying to camouflage her anger. "I could formulate a decent strategy without help from you."

"Not according to the Kazekage."

Temari just glowered at Shikamaru furiously until finally, releasing a sigh, Shikamaru interjected in a reasonable voice, "Tch, I just travelled for three days. I need to rest. Take in the sights. Visit some friends."

"You don't have any friends here," Temari countered.

"I do. Matsuri, Ba—"

"You know Matsuri?" Temari asked, surprise lacing her voice.

"Yes. A nice girl," Shikamaru answered.

"Nice? That's like saying she's boring!"

"Tch, I like nice girls," Shikamaru mentioned reassuringly. "Actually, it was even my childhood dream to marry a nice, average-looking woman…" Shikamaru allowed his sentence to hang, his meaning quite clear that Temari didn't fit the bill.

"Good for you then."

"Yeah," Shikamaru concurred.

Temari snapped, "Since you need not fulfil your mission, you can visit _your friend_. Maybe she can even ask you to stay with her and teach her _your_ strategies."

Shikamaru didn't miss the double meaning. "After I sleep—_at an inn_."

"Why don't you just go directly to her place and surprise her?"

"Maybe I will. I even brought her some—"

Temari gnashing her teeth, pivoted towards Gaara. "I hope Suna is not paying for his sham of a mission!" With that said; Temari marched towards the door, opened it and then slammed it close, jarring the photograph of the previous Kazekage on the wall.

TBC

~3 15, 24 12AF~

A/N: Thanks to everyone that just favourited me and some of my stories—that's why I couldn't quit writing even when I feel so uninspired. And yeah reviews & criticisms are the fastest way to inspire me ;D


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Temari scowled at the closed door before swiftly turning the knob and jerking the door open. What she saw still amazed her despite already expecting the individual's presence inside the room.

"What are you doing here?" she rasped at the man sprawled asleep on her bed. Even with her bunched-up thin blanket being clutched by him to cover his face in order to blot out the late afternoon sun which was streaming from her bedroom window, she knew who those shorts-covered legs and naked arms belong to.

Shikamaru.

_So what was he doing here? _He was supposed to be with Matsuri. Or at whatever house or inn he wanted to stay. That was what he told her hours ago. Clenching her teeth, Temari repeated her question, louder and angrier, "Ass! What are you doing here?"

The mound of blanket finally answered, tiredly, "Sleeping—was sleeping." And it was after another five more seconds before the mound deemed to move as Shikamaru pushed the blanket off his face, rubbing his knuckles over his still droopy eyelids, not bothering to get up.

"_In my room? In my bed?"_ Temari shouted as she placed both her hands on her hips, glowering at the sleepy head who was still taking his time rousing himself.

"Tch, you told me to come." Shikamaru ultimately hoisted his upper body up in order to sit on the bed, stifling a yawn as he did so.

"_When did I ever?"_ Temari snapped.

"You told me and I quote, _'Why don't you just go directly to her place and surprise her?'_" Shikamaru rebutted, a very slight smirk playing along his lips, as if the memory was a pleasant one.

Temari noticed the smirk, defensively she glowered. "You know I meant Matsuri!"

"Did you? Tch, next time specify which friend."

'_I'm not your friend,'_ was on the tip of Temari's tongue but it seemed wrong somehow so she growled instead, "Ass, don't play dumb!"

"I played it like a genius before…" Shikamaru suddenly sounded serious, "…and it did not bring any result."

"Result?" Temari raised questioning eyes at Shikamaru before shaking her head in negation, sputtering, "You—you already told me you gave up!"

Shikamaru expelled a deep breath. Next, he pulled at the blanket that twisted around his waist and pushed it aside in order for him to stand up from the bed. He then approached Temari and admitted once they were standing face to face, "What I told you is that, I gave up being patient with you, coaxing you to remember little by little."

Temari's voice was sharp as she demanded, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"This." Shikamaru unexpectedly grabbed the back of Temari's head and angled his mouth over hers. Pulling her head closer, his mouth plundered hers, putting all his frustrations into the kiss.

Temari tried to clamp her mouth shut as she pushed at the arms that enveloped her, but the arms only held on tighter and the mouth just moved, trailing a wet path down her neck.

Temari eventually realized that it wasn't Shikamaru's hands holding her in captive but his shadows when she felt his hand creeping inside the V of her kimono. "Stop!" Temari commanded almost breathlessly.

Shikamaru ignored her plea, muttering almost raggedly instead, "I missed you so damn much."

By now, his hand had gained access inside the upper part of Temari's yukata and he squeezed gently the prize grasped by his palm, while actively seeking Temari's mouth again. And this time, he was more successful gaining entry into the moist cavern, mumbling, "Please Temari. Let me."

Temari allowed him as if she couldn't help it. As if her body had a memory of its own while her mind, her mind had gone blank and couldn't find a coherent reason to stop him.

Until it was over, but by then she was feeling too good—almost herself and too tired to listen to the reasons her mind was now ready to supply, reasons why the thing that just happened shouldn't have happened. Reasons like, the man, holding her now as he sleep, was actually just a boy three years younger than her; a lazy ass crybaby who denied fighting her with his actual strength; and most of all the reason that when she asked him that day on their way to the hill if he was her boyfriend, he had answered no.

Tomorrow she would listen to those reasons her mind kept telling her and threw him out of her bedroom. But with the darkness around her, she could bask in this feeling of completeness she had been missing for the past few months.

TBC

~3/31/12AF~

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys! It keeps me inspired at a time when inspiration to write is low.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Shikamaru opened one eye slowly, expecting a smack on his head. With none forthcoming, he opened the second one hastily, swivelling his head to check his left side on the bed.

Temari's side of the bed was empty except for a torn piece of paper with something scrawled on it.

It said: I'll be back. Leave before I do.

Shikamaru sighed but then heard the doorknob turning slowly. Shikamaru immediately closed his eyes, pretending sleep. Temari couldn't accuse him of ignoring her note then.

Temari came in, bended over the 'sleeping' Shikamaru in order to grab the note on the other side of the bed and then went out of the room. Just that.

Shikamaru opened both eyes and stared at the door which Temari had carefully closed, a slow grin spreading across his face.

On to stage 2 of the plan then.

—o0o—

"Where is he?" Temari barged in; the door to the Kazekage's office opening and closing subsequently with a resounding crash.

"Who?" Gaara didn't bother to raise his head from the documents he was perusing.

"You know I mean Shikamaru," Temari snapped.

"He already left. He said he's likely done with his mission," Gaara answered while he turned to the next page of the file in his hand.

More like he's done getting what he wanted—from me. _"The ass,"_ Temari muttered under her breath, the veins on her forehead ready to pop as she clenched her jaws and grinded her teeth.

"He assured me your battle strategies will now improve. Hopefully, he means, with your succeeding missions, there would be fewer casualties. And that I don't have to constantly wonder about your safety."

_What? The ass thinks I'll change my tactics just 'cause we slept together?_ Temari's jaw hurt with way she kept them clenched, glaring furiously at Gaara's bent head.

Finally taking notice of the fuming gaze turned his way; Gaara raised his head, consequently remarking after second or two of watching Temari, "I can see he's right. As we speak, I can almost hear the screws turning in your head, a healthy sign that you're thinking the best way possible in dealing with Nara. I suggest however that you don't take too long as your quarry might be by the border by now or _maybe not…" _Gaara shrugged his shoulders, returning his attention back at the papers in front of him as he added, trying to sound concern and failing, "It almost makes me feel sorry for him."

"_I'm not going after him!_ Why should I? I want nothing from him. Now, if you'll excuse me I have really important things to attend to," Temari huffed.

"There was never a need to ask politely to be dismissed before." Gaara again lifted his head up, not trying to hide the teasing smile that graced his lips.

"Oh shut up!" Temari growled. _Really, she would not go after that crybaby, lazy ass, coward jerk!_

Furthermore, everybody is wrong. Tsunade is wrong. She did not forget the most important person in her life.

Last night, she had slept with Shikamaru. And it did not feel strange. In fact it felt marvellously mind blowing and familiar.

If she had done it with someone other that Shikamaru, it would still feel marvellously mind blowing and familiar wouldn't it?

As she could not remember any name and/or face of anyone she slept with before, it was entirely possible that what she had forgotten are the names and faces of the men she sleep with, right? That didn't mean they are all important.

No, Shikamaru is not the most important person in her life. He is just the man who she now acknowledged as someone who is great in bed. But that didn't change the fact that he's a crybaby, a lazy ass and a coward.

_A stupid fucking coward!_

"It's good to finally be rid of him!" Temari snarled at Gaara her final words before striding out; the Kazekage's door suffered her wrath what with the force with which it was solidly shut.

TBC

~4/8 11, 5/8, 18 12AF~

A/N: Thanks to these 8 people: Twi-Smile, Rose-Aki, mk, Naara-no-temari, MarijaV, ladyTemari, Aishiteru xoxo and karinuuzumaki for reviewing chap 9. I don't usually get that much review for a single chapter so it was really overwhelming…and inspiring.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"_Ass, I'm not a coward like you,"_ Temari muttered angrily to herself as with her hands directed backwards she sprinted across the desert plain. It was after several hours later when the terrain had changed from sand dunes to gigantic blocks of brown rocks did she see another person crossing her path.

Make it three persons. Two hooded nins had the third one almost down at his knees in their midst. By the look of things, the lumps and piles of pulverized rocks around showed that the battle was already raging on for hours and now, it was drawing into a close.

Temari removed the fan at her back and one of the hooded nins, that had already detected her presence, suddenly advanced and placed a kunai at the cornered shinobi's neck.

"Move and I'll kill him," growled the hooded nin, his voice booming and unnatural, as if his voice did not belong to him. An eerie wind then shifted the hood and revealed that his face was shielded further by a black and white skeleton-like mask. The nin's ensemble, that of a blood red robe with the hood, had a big black circle with triangle drawn inside clearly visible on the front.

"_Ha_. Just kill him," Temari snapped. "That's a Konoha shinobi you got there. _See—_" Temari put a finger to her forehead, pointing to the head protector she was wearing. "—Suna."

The nin who got the hostage looked at his companion and nodded his head almost imperceptibly, signalling the companion to _take care of her_.

"For _Kami's_ sake, woman, go!" the hostage shouted.

"I don't need you to tell me what to do!" scowled Temari, opening her fan and taking a stance of attack at once when she saw the hooded companion, similarly clothed, moved to her right.

"They're not going to kill me. They need me for some absurd ritual. So forget about saving me and save yourself! _Run!" _the hostage shinobi again ordered.

"Ass, I did not come here to save you!" Temari was tempted to take off her attention from the hooded nin to glare furiously at the shinobi. She was not interested in saving his lazy ass. But before these cult members slash shinobis could kill him, she has something to tell him. She didn't know yet what exactly she wants to tell him though. She hasn't figured that part out yet but _hell_ she is not like him who would just ran away after that _that_ thing that happened between them last night. Unlike him, she's not a coward. But she's not here to save him either. "Save your own ass!"

"Tch, I know that." Shikamaru, with a sudden burst of movement, grabbed the hand holding the kunai at his neck, elbowed then threw his opponent forward over his shoulder before doing a series of hand seals that allowed his shadow to pin the opponent to the ground.

While Temari opened her fan and directed an abrupt slash of winds towards the other hooded nin but the hooded nin disappeared.

"_Temari, above you!" _Shikamaru warned.

The hooded nin, now four of them, was about to attack from above but before they could land a blow on Temari, four strips of shadow with sharp tips pierced each one, making the three puffed into smoke while the fourth one into a log.

Whilst the other hooded nin previously caught by Shikamaru was able to fight off the shadows pinning him to the ground since the main shadow had also branched out to protect Temari. Taking the opportunity, the hooded shinobi assailed the momentarily distracted Shikamaru, throwing fists and kicks in his direction.

"Ass, I can watch my back!" Temari yelled as she swivelled her head around searching for her opponent.

"Tch," Shikamaru could only murmur to himself as he was currently busy defending that self from his own opponent's powerful jabs and kicks.

Temari found her quarry who engaged her in a hand to hand combat.

"You can't beat these nins?" Temari chuckled, gloating at Shikamaru, noticing finally that their opponents merely occupied them with taijutsu.

When suddenly, Temari could not move. _"What the—" _Temari stopped laughing and glared at Shikamaru. "What are you doing?" Temari growled. She was immobilized by Shikamaru's own shadow, the black outline on the ground connected from him to her.

Shikamaru looked bewildered, staring at his own hands with the seal holding Temari. "_Dammit_ woman, I tried to warn you. They already have me under their control." Shikamaru shook his head, trying to clear it. "I don't even know anymore if what's happening now is real or not. I—"

"_Silence!"_ The hooded nin that was fighting Shikamaru made a slashing gesture in the air with his hand and Shikamaru suddenly doubled over almost dropping to his knees—the same position he was in before when Temari first arrived.

_Genjutsu? _He was under genjutsu? Temari frowned. "What the hell did you do to him?" Temari furiously asked the hooded nin, feeling the shadow holding her slacken; watching Shikamaru finally dropped to his knees on the ground and coughing up blood.

"Temari, if you're really Temari, just go." Shikamaru wiped the blood trickling down his lips with the back of his hand while looking up at the kunoichi before him. "Before they could get control of you too."

"_I—you're hurt…" _

Shikamaru shook his head. "Go," he mouthed and with that he threw a kunai with an explosive tag, knowing that the smoke would help Temari escape.

TBC

~6 14 12AF~

A/N: Yay, who is going to save who…

Review?


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

When the smoke from the explosive tag cleared, Temari still stood her ground, scowling at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru stared at the blonde kunoichi, disbelieving. _"Dammit woman, why didn't you…"_

Temari remained defiantly glaring at Shikamaru while the two enemy shinobis flanked him as they watched her.

"Kill her," the hooded shinobi on his left ordered Shikamaru.

"_No! I'd die first!" _Shikamaru suddenly clenched his teeth, his shoulders tensed and his hands fisted at his sides, seeming to fight something within him.

"Ass, if you die in the hands of these two imbeciles I'll kill you myse—_oomph._" Abruptly, Temari was grabbed from behind by the clone of one of the hooded nins. A white piece of cloth, heavily impregnated with a powerful chemical was shoved in front of her, covering her nose and mouth. It made her lose consciousness fast.

The last words she heard were the ones Shikamaru was shouting. "Let her go or _I'll swear—"_

She wanted to bash his head and lecture him, "_Baka_…you should have stayed in Suna longer then you wouldn't need to swear at anyone." But even before she could raise her fan or open her mouth to tell him that, the drug had taken effect.

—o0o—

She was on her way to that hill again, asking Shikamaru if he was really her boyfriend.

The Konoha shinobi hesitated to say yes then admitted that no, he was not her boyfriend.

Then she felt his touch, his body pressing her on to her bed. It made her feel alive; like she found herself whole again, not a part of her missing…And she just knew she had felt this way before….But why did it feel this way?…Being this close to him, skin to skin, felt so damn familiar…She felt complete, the feeling of restlessness gone.

When suddenly, _bam,_ there was the realization that she couldn't allow him to die. Simplythinking about him dying made her feel so cold. Her skin crawling; her heart beats and she could feel each slow, forceful thud hitting her ribcage and she could taste fear in her dry mouth.

_Hell! _These were all confusing. Temari moved her hand to her head to ruffle her mop of blonde hair in frustration and anger—at least she tried to—but something held her back. Opening her eyes, she immediately looked above her head. Her arms were spread apart in a wide V and both her wrists were shackled, a heavy metal chain manacling each wrist to the rocky wall of the cave, the same thing with her feet.

"_Good_ you're awake," Shikamaru spoke from across on the other wall. The chains holding him were similar to hers and appearing freaking brand new.

Temari just glowered at Shikamaru, still unreasonably furious with him. Then she swivelled her head around, noticing that the cave was lighted enough by two torches hanging via the jutting rocks on two opposing corners. The interior of the cave was recognizable. It was one of the caves on the south border of Suna. Good, they—_she_—wasn't that far from help…not that she'd need help.

All of a sudden, Temari heard footsteps approaching. _"Shhh," _she warned, needlessly silencing Shikamaru.

"We don't need the girl. We should just dispose of her," a voice, forcefully trying to sound menacing, said.

"We need her. Hidan-sama's _'killer' _will do anything we ask for her," the other replied, sounding more boisterous.

The enemy nins' footsteps then gradually faded, with their words becoming less and less distinct as the two drifted away from where she and Shikamaru were tied with the metallic chains.

_Hidan?_ The circle with the triangle drawn inside it on the enemy nins' robes should have clued her in—the symbol of Jashin. _Dammit,_ Temari thought. Why did she miss that!

But what do they want with Shikamaru?

"What do they want with you?" Temari rasped. She needed facts if she was going to get herself and him out of here. The crybaby couldn't be depended upon to save his own ass.

"_Tch,_ you don't know?"

"Would I be asking if I already know?"

"Do you know the Akatsuki? Hidan?" Shikamaru fired.

"Of course!" Temari snapped.

"How about me?"

"_You?"_ Temari hedged. "Of course!"

"What do you know about me?"

"Aside from your name, your—"

"_My name?_…_Heck!_ A lot of people know my name."

"Alright, _ass, _I'll tell you everything I know about you. You're a fucking lazy bastard that prefers napping and playing that stupid board game than training. You don't have the balls to fight me and you cry like a little girl. Furthermore, you're three years younger. You're as old as my baby brother—"

"I didn't know that my age bothers you that much."

"Your age doesn't bother me! Why should it? You said so yourself, you're not my boyfriend. We are not in a relationship. Not now. Not then."

Shikamaru just raised an eyebrow.

"And you proved it when you didn't even bother to say goodbye after what happened between us. What do you think I was going to do? Demand something from you that you weren't ready to give just because we slept together," Temari sneered. "You were such a coward. You didn't even have the guts to ask me what I felt after. You didn't even realize I was so damn confused." Temari stopped as she realized what she had just said.

"Temari, listen—"

Not wanting to hear his excuses, Temari swore, "_Dammit,_ I don't need to listen to you. I finally figured the answer myself. I just need to sleep with another guy and I would know for sure that whatever I felt, I would feel it again—_with anyone._"

Shikamaru pulled at his restraints in frustration. "You call me a coward? What do you call whatever you're doing right now? You're denying even to yourself—that _I'm important!_"

"No, you're not!"

"Yes, I am. To you. If I wasn't what were you doing following me back to Konoha?"

"_I wasn't following you!_ I—_I_ have a mission in your village."

"After months and months of waiting for you to go back to Konoha, you suddenly have a mission there now?"

Temari's eyes spitted fire. "Yes," she scowled, lying through her teeth.

"I know you well enough that I could tell when a stupid lie just passed through your lips. But let's pretend I don't." Shikamaru inhaled a deep breath, easily calming himself. After a while he slowly smirked, having the face of someone about to utter checkmate. "So what are you doing here with me in this cage after I told you to go, countless times?"

Temari's mouth hanged open for a moment, unable to answer; when abruptly, still glowering at Shikamaru fumingly, she shouted, "_Guards! Hidan's supporters!_ Or whatever _the hell_ you call yourself, I need to pee!"

Shikamaru chuckled. "Just admit it, I'm important to you."

"_Guards!" _

TBC

~5 24, 6 24 12AF U 6 30 12~

A/N: Woot reviews made me update faster :P…It's only _**Intertwining Fate**_'s turn supposedly this weekend.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Dammit, I need to pee! _Now!_" Temari argued with the red robe clad shinobi standing uncomfortably before her, his hood and skeleton-like mask still neatly in place.

"I'll get you a—_a bucket,_" the hooded shinobi hesitated, obviously at a lost on how to deal with Temari's request.

"_A bucket?_ What? I'm supposed to pee here, tied like this?" Temari focused all her anger at her jailer.

"Ye—es. _No._ Alright, I'll untie you but if you try to escape I have to kill you," the hooded shinobi warned, making his voice boom loudly on the words _kill you._

Shikamaru tried catching Temari's attention with his eyes, warning her not to do anything stupid.

"Understood," Temari rasped, agreeing with her jailer and not meeting Shikamaru's eyes.

The hooded shinobi took out from his robe's pocket the key and unlocked first the chain dangling from the wall to Temari's feet, then her left wrist then right.

Temari limped as she moved from the wall. Her blood, stagnant after hours of captivity, came rushing all throughout her body. It was an unpleasant feeling. When suddenly her guard pulled at her right wrist then her left, tying both hands together this time using a half a meter long heavy metal chain, making her mobile but still imprisoned.

Temari acted weak, she leaned on the cave wall for support and held her hands limply in front of her. And the hooded shinobi appeared convinced. When the shinobi stooped down to tie Temari's feet together, Temari kicked him with her knee hard in the face.

The shinobi stumbled back. Temari jumped then toppled the shinobi on the stone floor with a loud, crashing thud, straddling him while trying to hit him with her joined fist manacled and reinforced by a heavy metal chain.

Temari, fuelled by indignant anger, lashed at her fallen captor. Dealing him with non stop blows, concentrating on striking him on his face and head with her metallic chain weapon.

"_Aw aw!"_ the hooded shinobi complained, trying to block Temari's metal chain strengthened jabs with his hands while trying to protect his face as well as trying to dislodged her off his chest.

"_Dammit_ woman, you can't kill him. You said you knew about Hidan then you should realize that Jashin worshippers don't die," yelled Shikamaru. "Stop pummelling him and just go."

The hooded nin indeed appeared to be made of very stern stuff. Temari not drawing blood no matter how much she pulverized him using the heavy metal chain tied on her wrists as a weapon but the mask he was wearing was starting to crumble after the sixteenth direct hit it received.

Seeing the skin beneath the mask, Temari forcefully grabbed and tore the mask off her captor and was shocked—_big time._

"Oh hi, Temari," Naruto said sheepishly, lying still on the ground while Temari straddled him. "_Anou—_you can get off me now," Naruto added but the kunoichi above him ignored his request, her looking at him with utter disbelief, stopped Naruto from saying anything else.

The cave was enveloped in an eerie silence; only the torches flicking on two corners bathing the area with subdued light could be heard as it burn.

Shikamaru tried to open his mouth to speak but at the last moment deigned to close it. His voice might unfreeze Temari from her stupor and then all hell would break lose.

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. _Shikamaru repeated the words in his mind like a mantra_. _The plan was going nicely then the troublesome woman, sensing defeat and refusing to be checked mate, choose to flee and everything just went downhill from there.

Shikamaru had thought of the possibility of being caught. He had explained the plan to Naruto in detail to prevent it from happening. Once Temari gained consciousness from the drug Sakura provided, the one that medics used for surgical operations, Naruto and his clone should stage a conversation regarding Hidan and Jashin while blatantly implying that they were leaving the cave. Once out of the cave, Naruto should have stayed out and ignored everything—the talk, the shout, the argument between Temari and him.

_S_hikamaru sighed. He had not taken into account that Naruto just wasn't born to be a villain. _The baka_ didn't even recognize the 'pee' ploy and just came in running to aid his hostage.

_Tch,_ Shikamaru muttered to himself. Nothing would be achieved by putting the blame on Naruto. If anything his friend had done more than enough already.

It was his idea, his plan, his fault. But _dammit_…he knew the consequence if Temari uncovered the plan.

Shikamaru, still tied to the wall, watched Temari's stunned profile from his vantage point.The woman was still on top of Naruto, neither shouting nor raising furious eyes at him.

The woman was just not taking his duplicity the way she should. A raging Temari would be easier to deal with rather than a silent one. A silent and angry Temari is an unknown quantity.

_It's going to be a whole lot worse than where I originally started, _Shikamaru thought to himself. _It would have been easier if Hidan's god Jashin has actually come to kill me. Death would have been preferable than this._

TBC

~5 24, 6 24 12AF~

A/N: Aw for people that guessed it was _the plan,_ pat yourself on the back and review, it makes me happy. For those who didn't, pat me on the back and review, it makes me happy.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Temari got off Naruto, standing up and turning towards the nin still tied on the opposite wall, her eyes unleashed twin pools of hatred and something else on Shikamaru. "Ass," Temari spat the word and it carried more venom than usual before she purposely strode out the cave.

Shikamaru remained unmoving, just watching the woman as she walked farther and farther until the darkness of the cave swallowed her.

"Does this mean I don't get to blast my own clones, saving you guys?" Naruto asked, chuckling—_uncomfortably._ His mirth sounding a bit forced and he stopped gradually when he received no answer from the only other person still present.

Naruto gulped as he watched his friend appear like he was the one frozen this time. "_Anou_—aren't you going after her?" Naruto queried then realized why Shikamaru was still immobile, Naruto then immediately scrambled up from the ground and digging inside his pockets for the keys. "Here," Naruto said as he waived the key in front of Shikamaru's face, sounding overly pleased before bending down to unlocked Shikamaru's restraints at his feet after which Naruto straightened again to do the same on Shikamaru's wrists. "You can now go after her."

"It's over, Naruto," Shikamaru, now freed, uttered softly as he slowly sunk to the cave floor and sat on the uneven rocky ground, stretching his legs in front of him.

"_B—but…"_

Shikamaru shook his head. "If I go after Temari now, even if she has realized her feelings she will deny it to get even with me. Troublesome woman would spit on her own face to have her revenge."

"You just wait for her temper to subside then," Naruto encouraged cheerfully.

Shikamaru sighed. "You think her temper would subside…_after what I did?_"

"You're a genius, Shikamaru." Naruto leaned low to enthusiastically pat his friend's back. "You'll figure out something."

"_Tch,_" Shikamaru mumbled. "She's a genius herself. She could come up with a number of ways to punish me."

Naruto closed his mouth; he had no reply to that.

A minute of silence had to passed before Naruto had enough of Shikamaru's sombre mood that he put his lower lip forward and pouted, "Why don't you just get mad at me? You told me to stay out of the cave and not to eavesdrop once Temari is awake. Then later tonight I was supposed to come as myself and attack your captors _err my clones_, pulverize them so no evidence would remain. It was a brilliant plan only I—"

Shikamaru interrupted, "It was my fault, Naruto. I forgot to factor in to the plan the fact that you are just not cut out to be a villain."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Naruto's eyes became mere slits as he looked suspiciously at his friend.

"You're just too soft on the hostage. _Really? Pee?_ You got taken in because Temari wanted to pee." Shikamaru laughed.

"_You are blaming me!"_ Naruto couldn't decide whether to be pissed off or glad his friend was finally reacting and round about reproaching him.

Shikamaru abruptly stopped laughing and denied Naruto's words as he shook his head. "No," he said.

"Yes, you are." Naruto pointed his finger at Shikamaru, giving emphasis to his accusation then he grinned widely, announcing confidently, "Don't worry I'll help you."

Shikamaru again shook his head. "No, I really don't blame you. In the first place it was a stupid plan. _But_…" Shikamaru paused as he contemplated, "…_I_ would accept your offer of help."

"Alright then _dattebayo_." Naruto smiled. "You wait here while I go after your girl."

Naruto then immediately took one of the torches suspended on the cave wall then he hurried out, running fast in order to catch up with Temari but as soon as he turned a corner a shadowy form emerged from hiding from the darkened cave wall not reached by the light of his torch. "Where do you think you're going?" suddenly an angry voice demanded.

And Naruto could only stare at the deadly looking nin before him. He hated to admit it but the coming fight is going to be the hardest one even for him.

TBC

~7 3 12AF~

A/N: I know late update. I wanted to write chapter 15 before I upload this ~my sole _The Stranger_ stash~ but my museless state isn't cooperating ~sighs~

Reviews are greatly appreciated and will be fed to my muse. Awesome if that darn thing gets bloated again…


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"Where do you think you're going?" suddenly an angry voice demanded.

Naruto could only stare at the deadly looking kunoichi before him. Swallowing his own spit, he then bravely answered back, "After you."

Temari gave Naruto a meaningful look, the menace in her blue-green eyes unmistakable in warning him that he should quit involving himself.

"_But—" _Naruto tried again but stopped when Temari, blatantly ignoring him, turned away and then with each step that she took that take her away, it spoke of her anger.

Temari then had taken a couple of steps when Naruto shouted, "What do you think will happen if your brother forgot about you? About Kankuro?" The loud nin then paused as if an afterthought just occurred to him. _"About me?"_

_"Leave Gaara out of this!"_ Temari scowled as she halted on her way out the cave.

"The answer…" Naruto continued undeterred, "… he would have remained a monster."

Temari swivelled around, facing the annoying nin. _"Shut up,"_ she snapped. "My brother didn't lose his memories. He's fine. He's not going to turn back to who he was before."

"_Anou-sa_ that's 'cause he remembers _all _his important people." Naruto's lips lifted at the corners seeming to agree heartily with the angry kunoichi.

Temari was taken aback. She's not an idiot. She realized at that exact moment what the stupid blond shinobi's round-about reasoning _is leading to..._

"But you don't," Naruto pouted.

_There. _

The stupid moron was actually telling her what she had suspected all along…That she had changed. _Changed for the worse? _Temari shook her head. She did not become a monster. _Or did she?_

Gnashing her teeth at her own confusion, Temari could only watch Naruto, unable to think of a comeback.

"I helped Shikamaru because I knew if I forgot those people important to me, I wouldn't be me _dattebayo,_" Naruto announced heartily, raising both his hands and crossing them behind his head. The torch he had been holding before had been hanged on a nearby protrusion from the cave wall. With ease, he started to babble, "Iruka-sensei used to take me to Ichiraku ramen. And yep Kakashi-sensei's bells were supposedly easy enough to get. I just need Sakura and _err_ Sasuke's assistance then. And you knew pervy-sage, right? He—"

_"Stop!"_ Temari roared, interrupting the raucous flow of words coming from the annoying _know-it-all_. The list of his important people didn't mean anything to her. Getting back to the matter at hand, she reiterated furiously, "I am still me. I just forgot that lazy ass!"

"But _he's—_"

"That's enough, Naruto," Shikamaru finally interrupted, coming out from the darkness of the cave. "I'll handle it from here."

Naruto nodded and beamed an encouraging smile towards his friend while Temari glowered, trying to kill both males with the venom from her eyes.

The cave was slowly enveloped in an uneasy silence as Naruto left, striding almost in a hurry to reach the cave's mouth. Temari just continued to beat Shikamaru with her furious eyes while Shikamaru watched her silently.

Shikamaru was the first to break the silence as he drawled almost nonchalantly, "I'm sure Naruto was about to say that I am the most important person in your life."

"_So?_" Temari sneered. "I've heard that from everyone else that having Naruto proclaiming the same wouldn't matter."

Shikamaru sighed. "Yeah _I guess…_"

"Tell me why do you persist in trying to make me remember?" Temari snarled harshly, "Judging by your latest plan you asshole just wouldn't stop at nothing."

Shikamaru shrugged, pretending to appear composed. "Because you—"

"What? Because _I _need to remember you? That I will change into—"

"You have already changed."

"So you're trying to help me return to who I was before?"

"Yes."

"_Ass,"_ Temari hissed, disappointed with the answer that she got. Feeling an inexplicable rage lodged on her chest, Temari took a steadying breathe. But still, the next time she opened her mouth, she bit the words out as she groused, "Tell me when I asked you if you were my boyfriend why did you hesitate, then answered _no_?"

"Because woman if I have said yes, it would only put you more on the defensive. It was already hard trying to visit you at the hospital. Telling you I'm your boyfriend would give you one more reason to dislike me on top of the others. You would probably avoid me altogether if you knew the truth."

"But we'll never know that, _do we?_" Temari snapped.

"I answered in a way I thought was best at the time."

"The same way you thought it was best to leave me after our night together?" Temari accused, unholy disgust dripping from her tone.

"_Woman,_ _you know it wasn't like that!"_

"Yes, I did discover you were just busy setting up your trap," Temari derided. "_What?_ I was supposed to save your stupid ass from Naruto, _right?_ Then _bam _I'll remember."

_"Temari…"_

"You know what's fucking wrong with you—_you _always have to take like twenty steps ahead of me. I asked you a question— _damn it—_you should have just answered truthfully. You should have just admitted you were my boyfriend. It would have stopped me wondering what made you so freaking important. Then that night we slept together, you should have just stayed with me. I was ready to ask you some questions…"

"You could still."

"No. Not anymore. Not after I discovered what a good liar and schemer you are."

"_Damn it woman._ You know me. I only did it _because_—"

"_Hell!_ _I don't know you!_ And I don't care why you did it!"

"—_because_ I love you." Shikamaru stared into Temari's eyes, demanding that she believe him. "I wanted you to remember me. I was being selfish I admit but I did all those things because I love you."

Temari's breath hitched. "No. You wanted me to remember because you didn't want me to change into a—_a monster_. As if I would just because I forgot you," Temari rasped, prompting a hollow laugh from her before continuing, "And definitely not because you—_you…_"

"_Tch _you can't even say it." Shikamaru sighed_._ Temari still did not want to listen obviously. "Just answer me this. Why did you choose to stay? I told you to go and save yourself from my attackers."

"Don't remind me of your deceit!"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Gaara told me that in all your recent missions, there was an outstanding and recurring flaw to your strategies—_you_ always lost a lot of people."

"Did he tell you all those missions were successful?" Temari countered.

"The old Temari would consider the number of lives claimed into the equation. No, Temari those missions weren't successful."

"Unlike your shinobis, Suna shinobis are ready to die for a mission."

"_Damn it, Temari, listen to yourself!_ Those nins that followed you also got families that wait for them to return," Shikamaru finally snapped.

Temari looked into Shikamaru's eyes, seeing at last the frustration in trying to reason with her. She didn't know why but…"You're such a crybaby," she muttered.

"Yes. You saw me cry when the first team I ever led ended up with their lives in danger."

"I see…" Temari somehow did see. She's a shinobi from Suna. They were trained to be ruthless. It was ingrained to them that all that is important in a mission is acquiring the objective regardless of everything or _everyone_ else. These past months she did accomplish all her missions that way but she felt something is off. It was nagging her, the feeling that she did forget something _about herself_.

"_Do you?"_

"Ass," Temari spewed the word. He is an ass but he's also a genius; he would get it that she now identified what else she lost when she lost her memories…_her softer side._

"_Bitch,"_ Shikamaru could only mutter as he felt his blood surged through his veins with relief. It was so sudden, seeing some sort of realization dawning in Temari's eyes.

"Are you giving up on me?" Temari rasped. The damn ass was hard to read. The _'bitch'_ sounded like a curse rather than an endearment.

"Never." And it was only then that Shikamaru allowed a smirk to twitch his lips.

"Good," Temari answered with her own self-satisfied smile.

Feeling more lightheaded than before Shikamaru approached Temari, only to stop a foot from her, he gazed into her eyes; he could see himself reflected on the woman's blue-green orbs.

It was after a while before Shikamaru deemed to speak again. "Your strategy has improved by the way," he drawled.

Temari eyed Shikamaru sharply, he just reminded her about her gullibility and about his and Naruto's duplicity again. But _hell_ she now understood why they did it. And the fact is it actually showed off that side of the lazy ass as a strategist. So let him gloat—_a little._ "I know."

"If you haven't changed your tactics when I got caught, when I told you to go you would have. The forgetful woman that you've become wouldn't have bothered staying to fight. It wasn't your mission. It didn't concern you. You would have reported it first to the Kazekage and the Kazekage in turn would have informed the Hokage and it would then be the responsibility of Konoha's nins to go after my captors." Shikamaru outstretched a finger to tuck a stray strand of blonde hair behind Temari's left ear. "You could have left me to die but you didn't..."

"You could say that because of it I realized—_you_ are important to someone and hence I couldn't allow you to die."

"Funny but that someone still doesn't even remember me."

"Is that important?"

"It was. Not anymore."

"Good."

"I won't pressure you to remember—"

"Yeah. That's half the problem. Everyone was insisting that you are the most important person in my life but you—_you_ wouldn't even admit that I'm the most important entity in yours."

"Sorry."

"_Sorry?_ Sorry I'm not the most impor—"

"_Tch, woman,_ don't be stupid."

"Now, I'm stupid! Great! Just great," Temari waspishly retorted.

Shikamaru finally grabbed Temari around the waist and kissed her—_hard._ The woman resisted but only for a second and then she kissed him back. Their lips locked in a duel; hungrily seeking to fill that void they felt for months.

Finally out of breath, Shikamaru still embracing Temari tightly, with his chin resting on her left shoulder he finally murmured, "Troublesome woman, I would forget about you too."

Fin.

~10 5,12 12~

A/N: Yay finally finished!

Thanks to everyone who took the time to review and those who put this story and me on their fave and alert list ~made me feel awesome~

Review guys, ok. I accept concrits graciously too.


	16. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"First met?" Temari asked.

"Konoha arena where we first fought," Shikamaru replied.

"Wrong. Konoha hospital," Temari countered, tongue-in-cheek.

"Tch, don't ask me if you're just gonna conveniently supply the answers."

Temari ignored Shikamaru's protest. "Who won by the way?"

"Me."

Temari chuckled, openly disbelieving Shikamaru's answer. "_You? _Obviously you're kidding me."

Shikamaru pushed Temari off his chest and was about to stand up from the bed when Temari stopped him by the simple act of returning her head on her human pillow.

"I'm sure I won our first fight even if I can't remember it. I'm not that gullible, you _ass,_" Temari gloated.

Shikamaru sighed loudly however the sheepish smile on his lips remained unseen by the woman whose head lay on top of his bare chest.

"First embrace?" Temari asked again.

"Outside the door to Tsunade's office."

"First kiss?"

"Outside the door of Tsunade's office."

Temari frowned. "We seemed to have done a lot outside Lady Tsunade's office."

"You thought I was at death's door so I tried to reassure you by hugging you." Shikamaru's smile could be heard in his voice. "Your eyes were as big as saucers when you saw me hobbling towards the office."

"My eyes are not bi—"

"While I was embracing you, I didn't expect you to kiss me."

"I would not do that._ You're making it up!" _Temari scowled, raising her head to meet Shikamaru's eyes.

Shikamaru nodded his head on top of his pillow. "You sure did."

"_Hmp_ our first kiss is in this bed. _Got it?!_"

"You can't change the past just 'cause you can't remember."

"Ass, the past – _it's_ like it did not happen if _nobody_ remembers."

"I remember it," Shikamaru said, soberingly.

"Oh just _shut up!_ We'll make new memories and new first time moments together!"

"Tch."

Temari moved and straddled Shikamaru. "Your memories of us before, I would treasure them too—if I have them, but I don't. I don't want to regret something just because—"

"_Sshh."_ Shikamaru put his index finger on Temari's lips. "When I told you '_I love you'_—that's the first time I ever said it to someone. I'm glad we both have that memory."

"_Gah_ that declaration wasn't much, you know."

"Compared to someone I know, at least _I_ said it."

"So I did something right in the past—_where the hell are you going?_" Temari growled the last as Shikamaru hoisted her off him before standing up and picking his shirt, followed by his pants then his vest from the floor.

Temari stood up too from the bed; wearing only her underwear, it did not detract from the look of resentment she directed at the other occupant of her room when she put her hands on her hips and demanded, "Ass, you can't threaten me that you would leave just 'cause I won't say _it_."

"Woman, I'm not gonna force you to say the words. I know already what you feel towards me," Shikamaru confidently announced as he hastily put on his pants. "Your brothers do too, you know. And if my calculation is correct, you have exactly ten seconds before they barge in here, to ask you—"

"Get out." Temari returned to the bed, not bothering to cloth herself but deeming to pull the bedclothes up to her chest while fluffing her pillow behind her head. "After you talk to them, come back here."

"Tch," Shikamaru softly grumbled his displeasure of facing her brothers alone before striding towards the door.

But before Shikamaru could open the door, Temari warned, "Don't take too long. I hate waiting."

End.

~11 5 12AF GC~

A/N: Here's to jayj millennial's '_more making up in the last chapter'_…


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